By Sr. Margaret Lynch, Good Shepherd International Justice and Peace Coordinator
The close of COP30 in Belém left many around the world disappointed as leaders failed to commit to decisive, urgent action to protect our common home. Despite hopes that this “COP of truth” would prioritize people over profit, the final agreement avoided any mention of fossil fuels, the primary driver of climate change
The absence of meaningful commitments disproportionately harms those already most vulnerable—especially women, girls, indigenous peoples, and communities living in poverty. As our Position Paper on Economic Justice states: “There can be no justice when economic systems privilege profit at the expense of people and the planet.”
Girls and Women at the Frontlines
“The voices and experiences of women and girls are essential in shaping just solutions.” Yet COP30 again saw attempts to weaken gender-responsive language and exclude civil society from key negotiations. Behind closed doors, decisions were shaped while the real experts—those living the daily consequences of climate disruption—were not at the table.
Signs of Hope
There were some rays of hope. The determination of indigenous peoples and civil society helped secure a commitment to a Just Transition Mechanism—a step toward protecting workers, communities, and human rights as the world moves away from fossil fuels. This echoes our belief that “transformation is possible when people act together in solidarity.”
This, combined with a formal agreement to triple adaptation finance by 2035 and the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility to finance forest protection, meant that there were some positive outcomes from the meeting.
Our Good Shepherd Response
In this moment of global uncertainty, we reaffirm:
“The dignity of every person and all of creation is non-negotiable.”
“Ecological crisis is a moral crisis calling for conversion.”
“We stand with girls, women, migrants, and those pushed to the margins by environmental destruction.”
As we look toward COP31, we call for climate action that is rooted in human rights and guided by the lived wisdom of those most affected.
Faithfulness to the Good Shepherd mission demands that we continue to raise our voices until political leaders place the suffering of people and the future of our Earth above profit.
Together, we continue to work for justice, hope, and the healing of our common home.
Subscribe to GSIJP’s YouTube channel to watch short social media videos on the Good Shepherd’s position on Integral Ecology, leading up to and during COP30.
